Environmental Protection AgencyNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Environmental Protection AgencySun, 18 Mar 2018 00:45:45 +0000Environmental Protection Agencyhttp://wwno.org
Last weekend, New Orleanians noticed a big fireball coming from the Chalmette Refining refinery. Some worried there had been an explosion, but it turns out it was a really big flare — a fiery plume that burns off excess stuff created during the oil refining process.Coastal News Roundup: Refinery Flare Editionhttp://wwno.org/post/coastal-news-roundup-refinery-flare-edition
137973 as http://wwno.orgFri, 16 Mar 2018 16:44:52 +0000Coastal News Roundup: Refinery Flare EditionTravis LuxThis week on the Coastal News Roundup: legal stuff! A local levee board's lawsuit against more than 90 oil and gas companies ends after bouncing around in the courts for several years. Plus, the EPA, the federal Department of Justice, and the State of Louisiana reach a settlement with Exxon Mobil, after claiming Exxon's facilities violated the Clean Air Act.Coastal News Roundup: Lawsuits End, Settlements Reachedhttp://wwno.org/post/coastal-news-roundup-lawsuits-end-settlements-reached
129445 as http://wwno.orgMon, 06 Nov 2017 02:08:21 +0000Coastal News Roundup: Lawsuits End, Settlements ReachedTravis LuxExxon Mobil will settle air pollution cases with the federal government and the State of Louisiana. The feds and the state of Louisiana claimed that Exxon Mobil violated the Clean Air Act by releasing excess amounts of harmful pollutants from eight of its chemical plants. Five of those plants are in Texas. Three of them are in the Baton Rouge area. All of them make either plastic, or chemicals for plastic — according to EPA officials.Exxon Mobil Settles Clean Air Act Cases With Feds, Louisianahttp://wwno.org/post/exxon-mobil-settles-clean-air-act-cases-feds-louisiana
129189 as http://wwno.orgTue, 31 Oct 2017 21:49:03 +0000Exxon Mobil Settles Clean Air Act Cases With Feds, LouisianaKate Archer KentA federal rule that revises which bodies of water are subject to the Clean Water Act will take effect Aug. 28. Some Louisiana farmers are concerned that the new Clean Water Rule is overreaching. The biggest change is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is defining ditches, according to LSU Ag Center water policy economist Naveen Adusumilli. Any ditch that is part of a tributary or connected to a previously jurisdictional waterway would now have to be in compliance with the Clean Water Act. “Those ditches which were not previously regulated could now be jurisdictional water. I think that is the primary concern for most farmers. Would those lands now be under federal control?” Adusumilli said, who is based at the Red River Research Station in Bossier City. The Clean Water Rule brings land in 100-year flood plains under jurisdiction. Drainage ditches and irrigation runoff are not specifically regulated, but there could be cases where they are called into question. Adusumilli notesLSU AgCenter water economist helps farmers, foresters interpret new Clean Water Rulehttp://wwno.org/post/lsu-agcenter-water-economist-helps-farmers-foresters-interpret-new-clean-water-rule
85788 as http://wwno.orgWed, 12 Aug 2015 16:45:00 +0000LSU AgCenter water economist helps farmers, foresters interpret new Clean Water RuleKate Archer KentMore than 120 people traveled to suburban Houston Tuesday to attend the final public hearing on new EPA rules that govern the amount of cancer-causing chemicals refineries are allowed to emit. A busload came from Louisiana where more than 200,000 residents live within two miles of a refinery, according to Katie Moore, research analyst for the activist group Louisiana Bucket Brigade. Moore was one of about 30 people who testified on the proposal. Under the rule, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would force refineries for the first time to monitor and report emissions of benzene to people who live along the fence line of a refinery. The Louisiana Bucket Brigade contends it’s not enough to monitor for this one chemical. If the rule is adopted as is, Moore said, it will still take years before refineries must adhere to stricter emissions standards. “We know community members can’t wait three years to have a rule implemented and then go through this process again,” Moore said. “WeLouisianans turn out for Texas hearing on oil refinery emissionshttp://wwno.org/post/louisianans-turn-out-texas-hearing-oil-refinery-emissions
65862 as http://wwno.orgWed, 06 Aug 2014 13:57:00 +0000Louisianans turn out for Texas hearing on oil refinery emissionsEileen FlemingAbout 30 people have traveled from New Orleans to Texas to testify at an Environmental Protection Agency hearing on air quality. They want increased air quality monitoring at oil and gas refineries. Beverly Wright is director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice at Dillard University in New Orleans. She says monitoring is now sporadic. “By the time they look at it, if it’s every month or six months, it’s too late. People have already been exposed," she says. "But if we did real-time monitoring that would really make more sense. EPA needs to hear the voices of the people, if not they’ll only hear industry. And if they only hear industry we’ll get far less than what we need to be protected.” The EPA is proposing tougher standards to reduce air pollution by 25 percent.Environmental Groups Seeking More Air Quality Monitoringhttp://wwno.org/post/environmental-groups-seeking-more-air-quality-monitoring
65806 as http://wwno.orgTue, 05 Aug 2014 13:16:08 +0000Environmental Groups Seeking More Air Quality MonitoringEileen FlemingThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has settled a lawsuit on measuring toxic emissions from refineries and chemical plants. The move comes after complaints by community groups in Texas and Louisiana.EPA Tightens Reporting Standards For Refinery, Chemical Plant Emissionshttp://wwno.org/post/epa-tightens-reporting-standards-refinery-chemical-plant-emissions
54848 as http://wwno.orgThu, 27 Feb 2014 13:00:00 +0000EPA Tightens Reporting Standards For Refinery, Chemical Plant EmissionsKate Archer KentMore than a dozen people in Shreveport have started a job training program this week made possible through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It could lead to a full-time job next month. Southern University at Shreveport is administering the grant that provides environmental health and safety training certifications. Program director Dennis Holmes said it's life-changing, and is catered to people who need a second chance in their career track.He saidlocal firmsseek outthese graduates who get certifications in hazardous materials handling, OSHA construction safety, and EPA asbestos abatement. “Some of them just hadn’t completed anything that was really productive for them," Holmes said, outside a classroom at the Shreveport Fire and Police Training Academy where part of the program is delivered. "This is very productive. They can start to take care of their kids and families. A lot of them said that they want to able to make their children and family have a goodSouthern University at Shreveport's EPA program is pipeline to jobshttp://wwno.org/post/southern-university-shreveports-epa-program-pipeline-jobs
47565 as http://wwno.orgTue, 12 Nov 2013 15:23:00 +0000Southern University at Shreveport's EPA program is pipeline to jobsEileen FlemingAn Algiers family will be getting free high-end energy-efficient appliances installed tomorrow by the nonprofit Rebuilding Together . The project managed to sidestep a government shutdown and Tropical Storm Karen.Rebuilding Together And EPA Helping Algiers Familyhttp://wwno.org/post/rebuilding-together-and-epa-helping-algiers-family
45232 as http://wwno.orgFri, 04 Oct 2013 12:00:00 +0000Rebuilding Together And EPA Helping Algiers FamilyThe Associated PressState environmental quality officials say they followed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's instructions on submitting a plan to reduce ozone, but they are unsure why Louisiana was included on a list of states that failed to do so. On Jan. 4, the EPA sent notices of failure to 28 states while also acknowledging that the letters are the result of unclear guidance from the federal agency. Sam Phillips, assistant secretary of the state Department of Environmental Quality, tells The Advocate he did not know why Louisiana received a failure notice since its draft plan was submitted before the EPA's January deadline. Phillips said there's no fine or other consequence from the notice of failure, but it's troubling that DEQ will have it on the department's record.State Officials Deny EPA Violation Claimhttp://wwno.org/post/state-officials-deny-epa-violation-claim
26644 as http://wwno.orgThu, 10 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000State Officials Deny EPA Violation ClaimeditorCiting a "lack of business integrity," the Environmental Protection Agency announced it was temporarily suspending the oil giant BP from entering into new contracts with the federal government. In a press release , the EPA said BP demonstrated the lack of integrity during the Deepwater Horizon "blowout, explosion, oil spill and response." This kind of suspension, the EPA explained, is "standard practice when a responsibility question is raised by action in a criminal case." Earlier this month, as we reported , BP agreed to plead guilty to criminal misconduct and agreed to pay a record $4 billion in criminal penalties. "The BP suspension will temporarily prevent the company and the named affiliates from getting new federal government contracts, grants or other covered transactions until the company can provide sufficient evidence to EPA demonstrating that it meets Federal business standards," the EPA said. "The suspension does not affect existing agreements BP may have with theEPA Temporarily Halts New Federal Contracts For BP http://wwno.org/post/epa-temporarily-halts-new-federal-contracts-bp
24164 as http://wwno.orgWed, 28 Nov 2012 17:37:00 +0000EPA Temporarily Halts New Federal Contracts For BP The Associated PressLouisiana is receiving a $17 million federal grant for improvements to public drinking water systems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the funding Thursday. The dollars, from the EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, are going to the state Department of Health and Hospitals for loan assistance for water system infrastructure upgrades and repairs. The program is designed to promote safe drinking water for communities.EPA awards $17M grant to La. for water systemshttp://wwno.org/post/epa-awards-17m-grant-la-water-systems
18440 as http://wwno.orgFri, 24 Aug 2012 16:36:38 +0000EPA awards $17M grant to La. for water systemsThe Associated PressU.S. Sen. David Vitter says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will award a $100,000 grant to the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to help fight the Gulf of Mexicos dead zone. Vitter says the grant will be used to help reduce hypoxia, or low oxygen levels in the Gulf, caused by increased nutrients transported from the Mississippi River. This years dead zone, which develops every spring and summer, is the fourth-smallest since measurements began in 1985. It measured 2,889 square miles, said a report released last month by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. Last years zone was about 6,765 square miles. The record is 8,400. Vitter said Tuesday the grant will be used to develop a strategy to decrease the Gulfs nutrient levels and thus reduce hypoxia.Vitter: EPA gives La grant to help fight dead zonehttp://wwno.org/post/vitter-epa-gives-la-grant-help-fight-dead-zone
17414 as http://wwno.orgWed, 08 Aug 2012 17:54:58 +0000Vitter: EPA gives La grant to help fight dead zoneEileen FlemingTwo environmental groups are asking the federal government to take over the state Department of Environmental Quality. The request is sparked by four accidents over the past two months.Two Environmental Groups Asking For Federal Takeover Of State Department of Environmental Qualityhttp://wwno.org/post/two-environmental-groups-asking-federal-takeover-state-department-environmental-quality
11279 as http://wwno.orgThu, 17 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000Two Environmental Groups Asking For Federal Takeover Of State Department of Environmental Quality